Jesse Blackadder finally had enough of people asking if she was related to Rowan Atkinson. She travelled to Scotland to find the origins of her surname and discovered the ruins of Blackadder House on the banks of the Blackadder River. THE RAVEN'S HEART grew from there. Born in Sydney, Jesse now lives near Byron Bay. She is an award-winning short story writer and freelance journalist, fascinated by landscapes and belonging. Her first novel was AFTER THE PARTY. She is writing her next novel about the first woman to reach Antarctica.